Paintball “markers” or “guns” are used in the sport of paintball to mark a player's opponent with paint. Paintball markers typically use compressed gas to fire a projectile, such as a paintball, which is comprised of a thin shell encapsulating a marking dye or paint. When the projectile hits an object, such as an opposing player or other target, the shell is designed to break, releasing the dye on the target.
Paintball markers employ several different types of engineering designs for loading and firing paintballs. For example, one well known design is referred to as a “blow-back” marker. Blow-back markers employ a bolt and a hammer mechanism in which the hammer is retained by a sear, and when the sear is tripped (by being struck and thus pivoted or partially rotated), the hammer transports the bolt into a firing position, while striking an air pressure valve at the appropriate time to release an impulse of pressurized gas to fire the paintball. As part of this sequence in a blow-back marker, some compressed air is channeled back to the front of the hammer to force the hammer back into the idled or cocked position, or in other words, the marker is configured to “blow back” the hammer. Blow-back markers are often grouped into two categories according to body-style, (1) “two tube” or “stacked”, and (2) “in-line”. In both styles, the hammer is linked to the bolt, but in the stacked body style, the bolt is located in a separate tube above the hammer, while in the in-line body style, the bolt and hammer are linked along the same axis. An example of a stacked body style blow-back paintball marker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,766,795, issued to Sullivan on Jul. 27, 2004.
When blow-back markers were first introduced, they employed an entirely mechanical linkage between the trigger and the sear. More recently, electronic trigger frames have been developed that replace at least some of this mechanical linkage with electronic components. When the trigger is pulled on an electronic trigger frame, the trigger engages an electronic switch or sensor which, in turn, through electronic circuitry, trips the sear. For example, a typical electronic trigger frame has an electronic actuation switch that feeds an on/off signal to a microprocessor. The microprocessor then activates an on/off signal to a solenoid, which draws an electric charge from a capacitor and can convert the on/off signal to a linear motion. The solenoid is configured with an armature pin to engage the sear and release the hammer, thereby initiating the firing sequence.
One advantage presented by electronic trigger frames is that the microprocessor can be programmed for various firing modes, for example, single-shot bursts, multiple-shot bursts, or continuous automatic. As a result, the user can, depending on the mode set on the electronic trigger frame, fire a single shot when the trigger is fired or it can fire other sequences of shots while pulling and holding the trigger. Another advantage of electronic trigger frames is the ability to track how many shots have been fired during a given period of time, so that players can monitor their usage of paintballs.
A drawback of present electronic trigger frames is the difficulty in converting from a mechanical trigger frame to an electronic trigger frame. Frequently, the entire paintball marker must be disassembled and multiple parts must be replaced, such as the trigger assembly, the sear, the trigger frame grip, and the air tank adapter, and then the unit must be reassembled. Another common drawback is the difficulty presented in replacing a failed power source, such as a battery, in many trigger frames. Often, the entire trigger frame must be removed and components disassembled in order to replace a battery. As a result, if a battery dies in the middle of play, the player must remove himself or herself from the game and disassemble the marker to replace the battery before resuming play.
Accordingly, there is a need for a paintball marker that permits the easy conversion between mechanical and electronic firing mechanisms. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.